Grim Fate
by Randompersonality
Summary: Fifty years after the Battle of Hogwarts, Master of Death, Harry Potter, finds himself in a spot of trouble. Again. Turns out there are people with powers who are not wizards after all. Men who control metal, a blue beast, and a man who keeps trying to break through his Occlumency shields. What is a wizard to do?
1. Chapter 1

****_Disclaimer: I own nothing. Marvel and JK Rowling have my utmost respect. _

_Disclaimer part 2: I'm new to this whole fanfiction thing so please bear with me and don't be too hateful if you don't like my work. I'm used to writing OC stories but needed a break. I thought that this would be a great way to exercise my writing skills while I let my other stories simmer for a while. Please review and comment._

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**Muggle- London, England**

Harry Potter was having one of _those_ days. The days where he curses his rotten Potter luck and then has to fight to survive. Well, not his survival anyway but the people he was trying to protect.  
It started as a normal mission. What he thought were a bunch of weirdly dressed wizards (even for wizards they were dressed funny) attacking helpless muggles, didn't happen to be wizards.

Between dodging flying metal and hexing a big guy that just ran through a building like it was cardboard, Harry had his work cut out for him. The big guy was wearing what looked to be a deep wok made into a helmet with eye-holes that was bolted onto his costume.

What Harry didn't expect was for the guy to run right through his shields, smashing him in the torso, and sending him crashing into the next building.

As he laid there crumpled against the building, hissing in pain, he heard a roar in the air. Glancing up, he saw a black jet landing with people streaming out, both running and flying.

_All right this just got even odder. These people aren't wizards but they have the ability to fly, run through buildings, and... is that guy using his mind to throw a metal beam? I hate my job..._ Harry thought as he stuck his broken ribs back through his skin, letting the bones knit back together, before reaching up and putting his snapped neck back into place. His skull will have to heal on its own.

Standing up on barely healed legs, Harry joined in the fray where the group from the jet were now battling against dome-head and magnetic guy. Leading what was left of the civilians to safety, Harry barely noticed a bald man in a wheelchair watching him with interest from the plane's ramp.  
Harry felt something nudge against his Occlumency shields but they held. Quickly tracing the source, he saw the wheelchair man nod to him in greeting.

Cautiously, Harry glanced around to see both the men who had caused the ruckus to flee. The newcomers had been knocked to the ground by what looks to be the entire sewer line ripped up from the ground, causing quite a bit of chaos.

With a sigh, Harry took off after them.

_Time to play hero again._ Harry thought as he used his magic to boost his speed. Just as he was catching up, the man with the red cape waved his hand over the ground, causing small jagged pieces of piping to rise from the earth. Without a moment to evade, Harry found himself pinned to the ground with metal sticking out of his chest and through each of his arms.

_Bloody hell that hurts..._ Harry thought as he could only watch the two men escape out of sight.  
_How the hell do I get out of this one? I can't get enough leverage to even use my legs. Why did he have to use such a large piece of metal? God... I hope the muggles don't see me like this. I'd hate to fake my death again._

"Professor! The kid's hurt bad," a gruff voice sounded somewhere above his head. Tilting his head back as far as he could, he saw a stocky man with wild hair and _are those claws coming out of his hands? WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS GOING ON?_

"Hang in there, kid. We'll help ya'." the gruff man said kneeling by his side, making his claws retract before pressing his hands around Harry's chest wound to try and stop the bleeding.

"Just take it out, please," Harry politely asks gritting his teeth through the pain.

"If I do, you'll bleed faster. You'll need surgery and a saw-bones to fix ya'." the man said patiently, concern in his dark eyes.

"Believe me, I'll be fine. Just please take the metal out," Harry says equally as patient.

"Do what he says, Logan. There is more to him than meets the eye," a very posh voice said over the hum of what Harry thought was something electric. Glancing around he could see the bald man in a _hovering wheelchair _heading their way along with an African American woman with long white hair, a blue demon of some kind, and a man with a red visor over his eyes.

"Ya' sure? I mean I figured him dead by now sure, but won't that kill him?" the man called Logan asked, uncertain.

"Just do it. Death is nothing new and it won't be the first time," Harry rolled his eyes.

Logan looked at him in surprise before quickly pulling the metal from the young man's chest and arms.  
Harry immediately curled up into a ball in his side, trying to absorb the pain.

"Ya' ok, kid?" Logan asked from what seemed like a long distance.

Harry could only weeze out a single "bloody hell" before passing out.

"Take him with us. He'll need a safe place to heal," Professor Xavier says motioning to Nightcrawler to 'pop' the young man to the jet's emergency infirmary.


	2. Chapter 2

**A few hours later in the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, New York**

Harry opened his eyes to a white room with a bunch of high tech equipment around him. Looking down, Harry noticed his shirt was missing and a bunch of wires were attached from his torso to a machine monitoring his breathing and heartbeat judging from the equipment's readouts. His chest was wrapped in bandages as were the wounds on his arms.

Gingerly sitting up, Harry looked around cautiously.

"Welcome back to the land of the living," a cultured male voice said from somewhere nearby.

Looking towards the sound, Harry's mouth dropped open at the sight of what looked to be a blue gorilla with a cat's face dressed in a suit and lab coat with glasses perched on his nose. It was like a transfiguration gone wrong.

"I take it I'm not in England anymore," Harry quipped closing his mouth with a snap, lest he offend.

"Nor in Kansas I'm afraid," the blue beast smiled at the reference, showing even more sharp teeth.

"If I may inquire, why am I here?" Harry asked trying not to appear to be a threat. He might not be able to die but he had a feeling that if this thing wanted to, it could cause him a lot of pain.

"Why not where? You are an interesting young man. Tell me, how long have you known of your mutant abilities? You look quite young but Logan suggests that you are older than you appear." the creature says studying the readouts from the machines intently.

"Mutant? What is a mutant? I've not heard of them before." Harry sees the strange...man? creature? look at him with interest.

"Mutants are humans, who through an evolutionary jump in the species, have developed various superhuman abilities. For example, the men you faced are known as Magneto and his henchman, Juggernaut. Magneto has the power to control all metals and Juggernaut cannot be stopped once he gains enough momentum. They are part of The Brotherhood, a group of mutants led by Magneto who believe mutants should be running the world instead of regular humans."

"Great, another Voldemort," Harry muttered under his breath, too low for the creature to hear him. Speaking up louder, Harry asked "So why do you think I'm a mutant?"

"Well, you have extraordinary healing abilities that rival Logan's, plus powers of various offensive and defensive types that we could see, as well as your speed," the beast explained looking down at his clipboard.

"Oh...right. No, you see. I'm not a mutant. I can't explain what I am due to oaths that are impossible for me to break but people like me have been around for over a millennia. We just went into hiding to avoid persecution. I was born with my powers although the healing thing is a rather new development, granted. Anyways, let me introduce myself. People call me The Grim." Smiling, Harry held out his hand to the creature.

"Oh, I'm Dr. Henry McCoy. My friends call me Hank and my comrades call me Beast. But I am one and the same," Hank smiled in return, surprising Harry with his rather gentle grip as he returned the gesture.

"Well, Dr. McCoy. Where am I?" Harry asked with a smirk knowing the blue doctor had been waiting to tell him.

"You are the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning. A school for umm...gifted youngsters if you will," the doctor smiled, "You are quite safe here, I assure you."

"How do you know I'm not an enemy? You told me so easily where I am. Shouldn't you be a little worried?" Harry asks surprised that the doctor was being specific rather than giving a general location.

"No, we aren't too worried. You proved yourself in the battle when you led all those people to safety. In any case, you would find out eventually since the children are notoriously bad about telling people already in the Institute as to where the Institute is located. Besides, we have more than enough people with powers to defend the school from a single person," Hank said allowing Harry room to swing his legs to the floor.  
_  
I've heard that one before. Didn't exactly work in our favor._ Harry thought but didn't voice his concerns. "Look, I'm healed enough. I need to return to London and finish up," Harry said deciding he had enough of chit-chatting for the time.

"Grim, that isn't wise. You were impaled and lost a lot of blood. You will be very weak," Hank said trying to stop Harry from standing.

"Nonsense, Doctor. After all, by your own admission, I'm a rather fast healer. I rarely lose consciousness but when I do it usually speeds up the process quite a bit. So if you will excuse me," Harry said pulling off the sensors and getting ready to apparitate.

"One moment please, Grim was it? I would like a word with you before you are off to parts unknown," the posh male voice from the battle asked from the now open doorway on the other side of the room.

"And you are?" Harry asked, getting slightly annoyed by all the interruptions to his mission.

"Professor Charles Xavier. I know you wish to be on your way but I do wish to speak with you about what you have seen here." the bald man said in a voice that made it sound like a request when it really wasn't.

"So far I've only seen your infirmary. No need to worry about loose tongue and all that. No one to tell in any case, I work alone." Harry said with a bit of a grin. He hasn't had anyone to talk to in decades. Harry might look to be in his late teens to early twenties but the Battle at Hogwarts and Voldemort's defeat was nearly fifty years ago. Ginny and he agreed that it would be best if she raised their children and Harry's godson, Teddy Lupin, alone when it became apparent that Harry was not aging beyond his peak. His best friends were sworn to secrecy when they helped him and Ginny to fake his own demise so as to escape the Ministry's notice. Since then, everyone has thought him to be dead. A statue of him had been built inside the Ministry of Magic, much to his dismay, declaring him to have died at the hands of a rogue band of Deatheaters who have yet to be identified. Only Ginny, Ron, and Hermione know this to be otherwise.

Every once and in a while Harry would receive a letter from one of them letting him know how things were in the land of the living and if anyone thought that he was still alive. Otherwise, every few years he would disguise himself with a polyjuice potion and check in on his family.

His kids have all married and started having families of their own. Ginny, with Harry's blessing, remarried a nice man named Nathan Kensley she had met while working for the current Minister of Magic, Neville Longbottom.  
_  
It's been lonely but it's for the better,_ Harry admitted to himself as he watched Xavier and Hank digest the new piece of information he just divulged about himself.

"The Grim is often seen as a portent of death, is it not? A giant black dog with blazing eyes that is either a protector or a deliverer of death depending on your mythology, I believe. How did you come by such a name?" Hank asked while Xavier studied Harry's face intently.

With a cold smile that made Harry's eyes flare a brighter emerald and his messy black hair to appear even darker, Harry answered with mock cheer, "Well, everyone needs a day job."

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_Well, that's Chapter 2. I know it is a bit longer than the last posting. I have a habit of having varying chapter lengths. I get the feeling that a chapter is done when it is done, not when the author wants it to be done. Please let me know what you think._


	3. Chapter 3

**A few hours and many unanswered questions later...**

After Hank and Xavier tried unsuccessfully to wheedle more information out of Grim, they finally gave up and offered (aka demanded for his benefit) a meal and a change of clothes.

With a sigh, Harry accepted knowing they wouldn't let him leave until he at least ate. Honestly, his clothes were in pretty rough shape anyways. His black long sleeve shirt and leather jacket he had been wearing for his mission were now rather holey and his dark blue jeans were saturated with his blood. His belongings were in a hotel room he had been staying in and had been paid up for the next few weeks.

The only things he had on his person during the battle, besides his wand, was an old cell phone, some money, and a fake ID. The Hallows go where he goes, attached to his magical core as they were. The only indication that he was in possession of them was the scar like marking over his heart. A triangle with a circle inside it and a line dividing them in half. He had corrected his vision a couple decades ago after having broken his glasses so many times during fight and his lightning bolt scar was hidden layer under layer of charms so as to be invisible.

By the time he was dressed in some sweats, courtesy of the school's supply of gym clothes for the students who attend, and having food put in front of him, Harry was really regretting that he didn't move a little faster in avoiding the metal pipes.

The cafeteria was full of people and very loud. It reminded him of Hogwarts a little except the food didn't appear magically and the ceiling looked like a regular ceiling. That and some of the people looked different. Very different. Harry was fairly certain he just saw a girl walk through the wall and another freeze another kid's piece of pizza when they weren't looking.

"So the kid lives," Logan said coming up and sitting down next to Harry.

"So it would seem. And I would rather you didn't call me that. I'm not a child," Harry said getting slightly annoyed. Well... in addition to having to wait to go back to his mission.

"Do not take offense, young one. Everyone is a 'kid' to Logan. He's an old man who does not age," the blue demon explained from across the table. His heavy German accent and appearance reminded Harry of the gargoyles he had seen while investigating an abandoned castle for Deatheaters deep in the forests of Germany.

Logan grunted in agreement while shoving food in his mouth.

His eating habits brought Ron to mind, making Harry fight back a smile.

"Something in common then. I'll be 67 next July," Harry said wondering what their reactions were going to be as he bit into his pizza.

Everyone stopped what they were doing to stare for a moment.

"What did you say your name was?" the man with the red visor asked from down the table a little ways.

"Call me the Grim. I gave up my real name years ago. It no longer suited," Harry said smiling a little. His eyes sparking with hidden amusement. His real name has been asked for in several ways since he had awakened here. He'll be damned if he told them now.

"I have heard of Grims. In my home country, they are Teufel Hunden, devil dogs. They lead the Wild Hunt and tell of death," the demon said making the sign of the cross to ward off evil.

"Only you would believe in that nonsense, Kurt," ol' red eye muttered before the exotic woman with startling white hair glared him into silence.

"Don't mind him. Scott lost someone very close to him recently," Xavier explained from the other side of Harry.

That peaked Harry's interest. Gazing down towards the one called Scott, Harry focused his powers, trying to determine who exactly he had lost. Calling Death to him in his mind he asked for more information. Death studied the man through Harry's eyes. "Master, he mourns a woman who is not dead. She is not among the souls I have collected."

Thanking Death, Harry dismissed it barely catching the warning, "Beware the Phoenix. She will consume all in her flames."

Returning to the present, he noticed everyone staring at him oddly. Unknown to him, during his discussion with Death his eyes had started glowing a vivid green, his hair darkened, and the shadows on his face deepened.

Shrugging off their odd behavior since they did not indicate that he was considered an enemy, he gestured to Scott. "She's not dead. The one you keep thinking about. She lives. But I warn you. She is not the same you fell in love with. You will have to kill her to save her," Harry flatly told him ready for whatever reaction the man might have.

When Scott rose to jump at Harry with a roar of anger and a look of murder in his eyes, Harry back flipped out of his chair and apparated to the other side of the cafeteria. "Accio wand, accio cell phone," Harry called and in an instant his wand and phone were in his hands. After silently casting an immobulus spell on his pursuer, Harry shouted, "I want no trouble. I'm afraid I'm just relaying the message."

"How would you know? You know nothing about us!" Scott panted, trying to break through the spell.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that. Puts people at risk that are innocent. Just know, Death and I stand on uneven ground. It allows me many things but at a cost," Harry said thinking about how he had to give up everything, his life, his home, family, and friends. "Heed my warning. Death rarely gives one."

With that, Harry released the spell and transfigured into a black raven with green eyes and flew out an open window, disappearing into the glare of the setting sun.

* * *

_In answer to some questions people have asked me:_

_Yes, witches and wizards are still in hiding._

_Yes, I understand that Harry could have used his magic to escape being skewered but I intended for it to seem like it happened in the blink of an eye and I needed Harry to somehow showcase not only his healing abilities but to also wind up at the mansion. He's not dumb or slow. Just taken by surprise._

_Thank you for reading. More will be posted sometime real soon. (If Graduate School applications and career goal statements don't kill me first) _


	4. Chapter 4

**A year later...**

Harry found himself outside the Xavier Mansion, perched on a tree limb in his raven form. Death had awoken him in the middle of the night a few days ago only saying something about a dark phoenix being awakened. Troubled by Death's earlier warning to the mutant named Scott, Harry apparated from his flat in London to New York and from there to the mansion where he immediately transfigured into his raven form. Exhausted from the journey, Harry has been sitting on this branch sleeping for two days.

Several times, he awoke to find a student or two staring at him. He would preen his feathers for a minute or two before tucking his head back between his shoulders and pretending to return to sleep. By the time the students left him, he had actually returned to sleep, trusting that his instincts would let him know if he was in danger.

This time, however, when he awoke, finally rested, he heard voices below him.

"Do you think it's sick or something? It hasn't really moved since it got here," a teenage girl said, worriedly looking up at Harry.

"Maybe. But I wonder, that guy Logan called the Grim, could take the form of a raven. Yeah, he hasn't been back but if it is him do you think it's because of Miss Grey returning?" a brown haired boy asked, studying Harry intently.

"Do you really think it's him?" the girl asked squinting and standing up on her toes to get a better view of Harry.

"One way to find out I guess," the boy said picking up a stick.

"Hey! What are you going to do? Hit it with a stick and see what happens?!" the girl said grabbing the boy's arm.

"Uuhhh...noooo..." the boy answered slowing. Obviously that was exactly what he had been planning to do.

Amused, Harry couldn't hold back a caw that sounded ominously like a laugh. Deciding it wasn't worth the wait to see what they would do next, he flew out of the tree to land in front of them. Smoothly, he transfigured into his human form, still laughing.

"Thank you, my dear, for your concern. I'm sure the other ravens will appreciate it when they decide to roost here for a time," Harry said glibly to the shocked girl before making his way across the lawn to the front doors of the Institute, only sparing the boy an amused glance.

"Wait! Are you supposed to be here? If you are here to hurt anyone, we'll take you down!" the boy called as he and the girl caught up to Harry.

Harry stopped and turned to them with a smile, hands in his pockets, "I don't hurt anyone unless attacked. You have nothing to fear from me. I would rather cut my own hand off than hurt an innocent."

"What if you don't think we're innocent?" the boy asked, pointedly turning his fists to ice.

"I'll handle this, Bobby," a woman's voice with a slight accent announced from the now open doors.

Harry turned and smiled at the white haired woman he remembered from the year old battle.

"Sorry, to pop in like this but I must see the woman you recovered. It is a matter of extreme importance. Life or death importance," Harry said keeping a small smile on his face. He has found over the last few decades that a smile keeps potential enemies from deciding too quickly that he is a threat.

"Why does she matter to you? You do not know her," the woman frowned.

Having the feeling that she was not going to budge, Harry let his smile slip. "I know of her. The Dark Phoenix must not rise."

"You will not have her!" the woman said, gesturing with her hands as her eyes turned white and the wind began to howl around them.

A thunderous crash was heard from behind the mansion, startling everyone. They turned in time to see a woman take to the sky.

"Master! Forgive me, the Dark Phoenix has awakened. You must stop her or this will be the beginning of much unnatural death," a black form said rising from the earth. It had very little shape but sent shivers down everyone's spines. Everyone's but Harry's. After all, he had nothing left to fear from Death.

"Fools," Harry spat at the woman, "I gave you a year's warning but you ignored it. Now all may be lost unless you have one willing to do what must be done."  
Instead of his raven form, Harry wrapped himself in a cloak of shadows and transformed into a thestral. The black creature was thin with bones sticking out of its paper-like skin. Almost like a partially decayed horse with leather batwings. Harry bared his fangs before taking to the sky after the escaped Dark Phoenix.

The white haired woman rushed into the school closely followed by the two teenagers. "Bobby, Kitty, check on the other students. I will see if all is well in the infirmary."

"Right, Storm. Let's go, Kitty," Bobby said taking Kitty's hand and running through the doors, taking a different hallway from Storm, before using his ice abilities to skate them faster down their path.

By the time Storm reached the infirmary, Xavier was already there opening the doors to discover a destroyed infirmary and an unconscious Logan. Rushing to his side, Storm quickly scans the room for any indication of what had happened.

With a groan, Logan opened his eyes to discover two very worried looking mutants.

"We should've listened to the kid, Professor. The Grim warned us and we didn't listen. Scott's dead and Jean's escaped. We've got to do someth'n'." Logan said sitting up with a grunt of pain.

A dark figure phased up through the floor seeming to be a shadow that has gathered form. Ignoring Logan's unleashed claws, it spoke with a toneless, genderless, monotone, "My Master has requested me to tell you where the Dark Phoenix has gone."

"Who is your master? What are you?" Xavier asked, unsure if this was a mutant or an illusion.

"The Grim is my master and my messenger. In your mortal languages, I am Muerto, Kifo, Smrt, Kuolema, or you may call me Death. My Master is angered that you did not heed the warning I passed to him and he passed on to you. It has resulted in my claiming of the one called Scott. It was unnatural. A mutation of the balance. Now my Master must bring balance to your world once again. I am displeased as well." the figure said in the same expressionless monotone.

Turning its attention to Xavier, it waved a hand over one of the walls to show an image of Harry in his raven form sitting on the back of a chair, watching Jean Grey wander lost about an empty house. "You must return to the beginning. Attempt to tame the Dark Phoenix. Should you fail again, many more will die. I do not wish to guide more souls to the Beyond before it is their time. It will only pervert the order and hasten the End."

"What is this End you speak of?" Xavier asked wanting to pry more information out of this...Death.

"You have many names for it. The End, Ragnarok, Armageddon, Revelations, Judgment Day... My Master prevents it by keeping balance in your world. But even my Master is not all powerful. Death is only a passage and I am but Death personified. I am unable to do more than ferry the souls into the afterlife and assist my Master. For once all is Ended, Death will be no more." Death fades away leaving the mutants staring after it.

"Well, Professor? What do ya' ta do?" Logan asked, standing with Storm's help.

"We need to go after her. We need to tame her other side quickly. The side I had trapped in her subconscious all those years ago," Xavier said rubbing long fingers against his temples.

"You did this to her?" Storm asked shocked.

"It was the lesser of two evils," Xavier sighed, "Jean Grey is a Class 5 or Omega-level mutant. The only one known in existence. She can affect everything on a molecular level and usually with little control on her part. I believe that her suppressed powers have split her mind in two. I'm afraid we may have lost the Jean we know and love to the darker side of her abilities."

* * *

_Hi everyone, I working on Chapter 5 as well but it is fighting me. I was hoping to do a double chapter post but it just was not to be this time. My statement of career goals is taking up my writing time right now. But once that is done, I shall celebrate by writing you all some really good chapters._

_What do you all think of Harry and the X-Men? I know you haven't seen much of them but that will change in upcoming chapters. Right now is mostly plot setting itself up before characterization. Time wise it is movie X2 for the X-men and 50 years after the Battle of Hogwarts. I'm very loosely basing things on the movies. _


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: Still don't own a single thing about this. Kudos to JK Rowling, Marvel, and everyone else I should be listing here._

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**A hour later...**

Harry did not like where this seemed to be going. This Jean Grey had stopped wandering about the house and instead took a seat in a chair she had placed in the center of the sitting room. At the moment she is staring out the window as if in a trance. One that was seriously ticking her off if there was anything to judge by her current expression.

Things in the house were moving on their own as if by invisible ghostly hands. Books were moving from the shelves of the bookcase and were flying about the room. Curtains rippled in an untraceable wind. Lights were flickering and the teapot in the kitchen kept heating itself up and whistling only to cool back down and start up again. Picture frames were either slapping against the beige walls they were hanging in front of or spinning on their nail. It was like the bad horror movies that the Muggles seem to be so fond of

Harry knew the moment people started arriving by the fact that Jean turned her chair and her gaze towards the doorway of the sitting room apparently ready to face whoever may enter.

The Notice-Me-Not charms seemed to be holding up for Jean Grey had yet to spot Harry as he perched on the back of a chair in his raven form. He found while his thestral form was fitting in his anger when he first left the grounds of the mutant school, his raven form was better for lurking in small spaces.

Neither did Professor Xavier nor the Magneto fellow notice Harry when they entered.

"Are you going to try and lock me away again?" Jean asked, her voice an odd growl.

"I'm here to help you, Jean," the Professor said calmly, as to a child.

"Don't listen to him, my dear. He just wishes to to control you," Magneto announced as if to a goddess.

"Erik, stop."

"Not this time Charles."

"Jean, I want to help you regain control."

Jean didn't look as if she believed a word either of them had said and only seemed to lose more control with each passing moment.

"Jean, what happened to Scott?" Xavier asked as Magneto continued to try and speak over him in order to convince Jean of Xavier's ulterior motives.

"Get out of my head!" Jean erupted, jumping to her feet.

"Jean, what happened to Scott was due to your lack of control. Please, let me help you," Xavier said as Jean's eyes flash and her hair becomes streaked with flames.

_Not good. Not good at all._ Harry thought as he watched Magneto get blasted into the kitchen and Xavier lifted from his wheelchair to be dangled in front of the Dark Phoenix like piece of meat before a bird of prey. so far his shields have been protecting him but they were started to push against Harry. Harry could hear a commotion outside the room that sounded like fighting. Water was gushing out of the sink above Magneto's head in the kitchen as things in the sitting room began to swirl about as if in a tornado if not for the fact that they were disintegrating.

Harry watched in horror as Xavier's skin was starting to peel away to reveal bone and muscle. Just as the door opened to reveal Logan pinned to the ceiling and using his claws to navigate towards the professor, Harry knew that he would be too late. Without another thought, Harry transformed back into his human form, dropped his barriers, and apparated to the professor and wrapped his arms around him. In the blink of an eye, they were gone.

* * *

_Hi everyone! Sorry that this took so long and that this chapter is so short. However, to make up for this I will be posting quite a few more chapters in the next few days. I'm finding some of the movie scenes from X-Men 3: The Last Stand to be rather short with very little occurring making it hard to fit Harry in where I want him to be. Also, I'm sending a shout out to any potential betas. If you are interested, please PM me. _

_Also, I have a correction to make. I am basing this fanfic during and after the X-Men 3 movie not X2 like I originally posted some chapters back. Sorry if I confused everyone. _


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING! This is just for giggles._

* * *

**Unknown**

Xavier wasn't sure where he was. It was dark and the place was full of dust and cobwebs. They were in a room with a large fireplace and moth-eaten and broken furniture. Pictures hung on the walls but they were covered with such a thick layer of grime that Xavier could not make out what they frames contained.

Thinking back to what had just occurred, Xavier thought he would be dead by now but the Grim's presence assured him that he was still somewhat alive. But where they were was another matter entirely.

Looking over at the Grim who was laying next to him on the floor where they had landed with a pop, Xavier wondered how he could still be alive, even with the Grim's healing abilities.

The Grim was in bad condition, much worse than his own. The Grim was missing an arm and part of a leg as well as much of his skin. The only indication the Grim was even conscious was the fact that the Grim was examining Xavier's injuries with darting eyes.

The Grim tried to speak but coughed instead before trying again. "Death. Please come here." The Grim's voice was raspy and weak.

A dark shadow flowed into the room and kneeled next to it's master. "What is your wish?" Death's voice was surprisingly gentle for its general lack of tone. It gingerly raised the Grim into a sitting position.

"I need your help. I do not think I can get us back to the Xavier Institute on my own."

"Master, you need to heal."

"No, I'll heal later. I need to get back to track down the Dark Phoenix. They won't have a chance of taking her down. She is much too powerful."

"They said the same about you once." Death reminded him.

"True but I had a prophecy to back me up. I think they will need all the help they can get. Which means getting Xavier home to lead them."

Xavier followed the exchange and noticed that Death was actually very tender with the Grim's injured body. Its tone wasn't as emotionless as it originally had seemed nor its appearance as frightening. Xavier wondered why there was such a difference. HIs thoughts were interrupted by Death.

"Very well Master. I will assist," Death said before turning its gaze to Xavier, "Mortal, when I have returned you to your home you must insist that my Master remain untouched except to place him where he can recover."

"I do not understand."

"My Master is requiring me to use some of his core to get you both to your Institute. He will not survive the initial trip. But do not allow them to bury him or burn him or perform any funeral rituals upon him. He will return to his body when it can support life once again."

"I know this is a lot to ask but I do not want to dig my way out of another grave. It was rather unnerving," the Grim said with a bit of a grin that look more like a grimace due to the extreme pain he was in.

"I promise that you will not go through something like that again," Xavier said, horrified at the thought of the Grim finding himself in a casket under six feet of dirt.

With a nod of thanks, the Grim turned to gaze at Death. "Well, old friend. Might as well get started."

* * *

_Yes another short chapter. I'm sorry. I'm working on the next chapter which will be longer (I hope). Still looking for a beta or two if anyone is interested._


	7. Chapter 7

_Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING!_

* * *

**Two days later. Funeral, Gardens of the Xavier Institute of Higher Learning**

Storm was in the middle of her eulogy when there was a sudden 'pop' and Xavier and the Grim appeared out of nowhere to land in a heap in front of Xavier's tombstone.

There was a moment of complete silent surprise that was only broken by Logan rushing forward to kneel beside Xavier as he struggled to sit up with the Grim draped lifeless over half his body.

Logan gently eased the Grim's battered body from Xavier's, "Professor, what happened?"

"I cannot explain right now. Get Grim to the infirmary and do not let anyone try and perform an autopsy on him. I will explain later."

With that there's a sudden rush of people clamoring to help. Beast comes forward to lift the Grim's dead form from where it was resting in the grass and carefully carried him inside. Logan and Storm ease Xavier into his wheelchair which they had brought out in place of a casket since there had been no body to bury. Gently, Logan wheels him into the mansion and towards the infirmary to be looked over himself.

No one says another word due to Xavier's injuries and apparent exhaustion but everyone wonders where the hell the two had been and how they got back if the Grim was dead.

For two days, they held their questions while Xavier healed before trying to get some answers about his disappearance and sudden reappearance at his own funeral, "Like Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn themselves," according to Beast.

However much they asked, Xavier said nothing but to wait as he sat next to the Grim's deathbed. After three days, they noticed that the Grim was not decaying. Within five days the Grim's wounds were healing and missing limbs were starting to grow back.

Another five days and Grim's body drew its first breath. Later that night, Grim opened his eyes to find Xavier and Hank hovering over him with concern. Startled, Harry jumped a little but found he did not have the strength to move from his current position.

"Please don't do that. Ever. You both are not what a man wants to wake up to," Harry rasped, wincing at his weak sounding voice.

"Apologies, Grim. But you've been a bit delirious for the last few hours and talking about someone named Voldemort and asking for a Ginny. You spoke of spells and what sounded like a war. We were worried."

Harry stilled before calling for Death.

Death stepped from a shadow in the corner and came to stand by Harry's side, stroking a gentle, if thin, hand over his dark hair. "Do not worry, Master. Your enemy is still dead and receiving punishments in the afterlife."

With Death's words, Harry relaxed a little. He could always Obliviate the mutants later but now he was too tired to care.

"However, Master. Ginny and your children are in danger. The one known as Magneto has discovered the wizarding world," Death said almost tentatively.

"What?!" Harry jerked himself into a sitting position only to fall back in agonizing pain.

"Master, please. I have warned Ginny and your friends. We have some time..." Death placed calming hands on Harry's shoulders.

Xavier and Hank glanced between themselves and Harry and Death.

"Grim, perhaps we can help. But we will need to know what is going on," Xavier started to explain but was cut off by Grim.

"Why? I've done nothing to deserve your help. This is my problem and I don't want more lives to be put in danger on my account."

"Grim, despite what you think, I can see you only had our best interests at heart when you warned us about one of our own. You also saved my life at the risk of your own when you saw that I could not reach Jean. For that, you have my trust. Please explain the situation and we will help you as much as we can."

Harry hesitated looking up at Death.  
"Master, I believe you can trust them. At least for now. You know as well as I that oaths do not bind you any longer" Death said, it's face still hidden in its dark hood, more shadow than form.

Closing his eyes with a sigh. Harry reached up with his remaining hand to scrub at his face tiredly.

At first, Xavier and Hank though he wouldn't say anything but Harry gave another sigh and opened his eyes with a glint of humor.

"Well, if I have to explain I would like to do it only once. Who do you think would be willing to help me out?"

Xavier and Hank glanced at each other with a grin.

* * *

_Here is another chapter. Yes, still short. TT-TT _

_I'm sorry. I'm feeling the short chapters lately and there are so many time/scene changes in the movie._

_Also, I would like to thank everyone who has been so nice in reviewing my story and giving me honest feedback. It really helps with the writing process to know people are actually enjoying my work. So thank you._

_And to the trolls, one word...chill!_

_This is my story and I'm sticking to it. If you want to insult me and call me names or tear apart my writing with no constructive criticism to offer, use a flipping profile so I can discuss things with you. Honestly, doing it as a guest just makes you seem like a giant coward who can't face the fact that I'M WRITING A FANFICTION! As in I'm doing this for fun and to see if anyone else would enjoy my work. If you don't like it, don't read it. Simple as that._

_One last thing, people stop flooding my inbox calling Ginny a slut or calling me names for breaking up Harry and Ginny. IT IS AND WILL BE EXPLAINED! YES, SHE REMARRIED BUT THERE IS A REASON TO EVERYTHING I DO! So seriously... CHILL! Reread the earlier chapters. Harry is 67 and looks to be in his very early twenties. Ginny is 66 by now and has aged normally. Think about it._


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING!

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**An hour later in the X-Men command center...**

Hank wheeled Grim into the room where Xavier was waiting with Logan, Storm, the two teens Harry met while a raven, and several he was sure he had never met before.

"Grim, you remember Logan and Ororo? Perhaps better known as Wolverine and Storm."

Harry nodded his greeting.

Xavier gestured to each of the other mutants in turn as he introduces them, "Of course Kurt Wagner, the Nightcrawler. The one with the streak of white hair is Rogue. The other young woman is Kitty Pryde also known as Shadowcat and Bobby Drake, the Iceman. The rather big gentleman is Peter Rasputin, the Colossus. New to our group is Warren Worthington III, also known as Angel. All of them have volunteered to help. Now it is your turn to tell us what exactly we need to know."

The Grim calls forth Death before beginning. "You know me as the Grim. But I have several other names and titles. The Chosen One, The Boy Who Lived, and most recently Master of Death. When I was a mortal, my name was Harry Potter. I am a wizard and am part of a very large community that has been in hiding since the Witch Hunts of long ago. The only reason I'm even telling you about them is that if I wanted to I could remove every memory you have of me with a single spell. But I'm trusting you not to say one word about our existence to anyone outside this room. I sense one moment of danger to my people, I will act. This is my only warning."

Harry wearily glared around the room before continuing.

"I'm not sure how Magneto found out about us but Death has told me that he is targeting the most powerful witches and wizards for some reason. These people happen to be my wife, well ex-wife, several of my closest friends, and my children."

"So you want us to rescue your family and friends from Magneto," Logan asked, "Didn't peg you for a divorcee though."

Harry glanced at Logan, darkly amused, "I'm 67. My wife is 66. We discovered that I was not aging after over a decade of marriage and three children later. People were starting to notice and whispers of me becoming the next Dark Lord were beginning to circulate. We quietly divorced and with the help of several friends, faked my death. I did not want my family to be targeted. I had just ended a war by fulfilling a prophecy and killing a very powerful dark wizard named Voldemort. Sadly, I became the most powerful wizard in history due to my possession of items called the Hallows, three magical objects given to my ancestors by Death by earning its favor with their deeds. I was the first to unite all three. Hence my current condition."

Logan looked over Harry's still healing body, "So how does this make you immortal?"

This time it is Death who answers, "Harry is one who has welcomed me as a friend while in possession of the gifts I gave his ancestors, three brothers. Two of the three squandered my gifts and I claimed them. However, the third brother lived his life and, when he was ready, passed on his gift to his son and welcomed me with open arms. Harry is a descendant of this last brother and welcomed me with open arms when he was but seventeen of your years. I allowed him to return due to his unfinished business with the one called Voldemort, who tried to escape from me by breaking apart his soul into seven pieces and hiding them in an attempt to live forever. Since Harry is my friend, I do not claim him and have made it my duty to protect him. He in turn has promised to protect me."

Rogue spoke up for the first time, confused. "How can he protect death? Ain't you immortal too?"

Death glanced at the young woman before answering, "I am but a manifestation of the human conscience. Death is a threshold between this life and the next. Without life there can be no death. My master helps prevent the End of All Life and so prevents the End of All Death. Human ideas are very powerful. After so many years of them, I stand before you in my current state. A reflection of how you perceive Death to be if I had form."

"So, Harry, how do you see Death?" Warren asked curious but also slightly afraid. He saw death as a skeleton wearing robes and holding an hourglass and a scythe.

Harry looked at Death thoughtfully before turning to the professor. "Can you connect everyone's minds? I can show you rather than describe."

With a nod, Xavier connected everyone's minds to his own before Harry allowed him in just enough to see the world through his eyes.

Death seemed to look like an ordinary person wearing a black t-shirt and jeans and red sneakers. Only the features were indistinct and androgynous but certainly nothing and no one to be afraid of.

After just a glimpse, Harry closed his Occlumency shields to outsiders once again.

"Anyways, Magneto must have made the same assumption as you. He must think we are mutants. The bad part is, just as you didn't know about us, my people have no clue about you. We don't associate with the Muggle...er...non-magical world much. And since the war, England has been rebuilding and has lost most of its contacts with outside communities due to the fact most of the people who handled those contacts were killed in the war. According to my sources, no one has attempted to re-establish any form of communication due to how vulnerable the country is right now. They fear an invasion or a new Dark Lord."

"Just how long ago was this war?" Iceman asked.

"Fifty years ago was when I defeated Voldemort. I was seventeen. Took several more years of hunting his followers to even get the Ministry running again. Hell, it took until my oldest turned six to even get the school all the English magic folk attend up and running again. I've been 'dead' for nearly twenty five years now."

Silently, people added up the math and had to admit mutants were a rather recent development in the world view.

"It doesn't help that the Second World War was in full swing when I finally managed to kill Voldemort. My people ended up being attacked on both sides. Magic and non-magic. It was a dark time in our history."

"Wait! You fought in World War 2?" Bobby asked.

Harry chuckled, "Yes. What part of me being 67 did you not get? WW2 started in 1939. I killed Voldemort in 1940. The war ended in 1945. I got married in 1952 and had three children and then faked my death in 1965. It is now 1990. Needless to say, I've seen history happen with my very eyes and helped it along with these same hands."

"What about Vietnam?" Bobby asked excitedly.

"Britain wasn't involved in Vietnam. Only after I faked my death did I go take a look at the mess being made there. I'm obligated now as Master of Death to observe any major battle, war, massacre, mass suicide, and so forth while Death handles the smaller aspects of...well... death and destruction."

Logan snorted, "Why did you take so long to take a look? I thought you became Master of Death when you were a kid."

Death gave a slight chuckle that sends a shiver down everyone's' spine.

Harry glared at Death but answered. "I was rather stubborn in my attempt at normalcy. I didn't want to involve myself in another war so soon after the two I just took part in. But I should have known my Potter luck would run for the worse. Heaven forbid the Savior of Britain have a life that involves what you consider here to be the 'American Dream.' Loving wife, children, house with a white picket fence, and all that."

Deciding he's explained enough for now, Harry shook his head before sighing and rubbing a hand through his hair.

"Enough of my drama. We'll deal with things as they come. Now will you lot help me save my family and my people or will I have to deal with this Magneto on my own? I know I'm not one of you and my people are not completely helpless but should we be revealed to the non-magical world, there will be another war the likes which have never been seen. My people are skittish enough without the fear that the Witch Hunts will begin again. Please help me stop this before it is too late," Harry said straightening in his seat with almost military poise but his voice was quiet with suppressed pain and fear and a hint of resignation.

Startled by the softly spoken request, the mutants glanced at Xavier and each other before making a silent agreement.

"We're in," Logan grunted.

* * *

_Sorry for such a long wait. I was accepted into Grad School so now I'm working on applying for scholarships. Also, I started writing the sequel to Grim Fate so look for that in the future. _


	9. Chapter 9

_Disclaimer: I own nothing!_

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**Hours and one very interesting flight over the Atlantic later**

Chaos ruled over London as Magneto and his mutants rounded up various individuals. Harry bounded out of the landed and camouflaged jet on his newly healed limbs and viewed the surrounding area for signs of magic.

"What do you think?" Logan asked sniffing the air.

"They're targeting witches and wizards but my people aren't fighting back with magic. There are too many witnesses. At most, they are using Notice-Me-Not charms and are apparating out of the area. There seem to be four groups of magic folk holding out but they won't be able to for long. The Aurors are already having enough trouble keeping this contained." Harry said with military precision, altering his appearance with some quick charms. His hair turned blond and his eyes blue. He added a goatee for good measure.

"Didn't know you could do that." Logan said eyeing the new look.

"Yes well, sometimes it is best to keep certain things to yourself. Got to have a few aces up my sleeve after all." Harry said before sprinting to join in the fray, taking down several mutants of the Brotherhood before they realized he was there.

Xavier watched in horror for a moment as one by one members of the Brotherhood were being attacked and incapacitated by Harry who looked for all the world a skilled warrior and killer. Logan noticed Xavier's expression as he passed him. "They ain't dead," he grunted before running out to join in the fight, unleashing his claws.

Grim was flying and spinning through the air, firing off spells left and right or using his fists and boots to take down his enemies.

The X-Men joined in either getting people to safety or fighting off members of the Brotherhood.

It took hours of bloody battling before the Brotherhood retreated with a dozen captives in tow.

Harry couldn't follow them because they used some sort of teleportation that he was not familiar with. Instead he focused on what he was doing; healing an injured witch that he would know anywhere.

"Ginny, wake up." Harry murmured stroking her hair, gently searching for more wounds. He knew his wife...ex-wife... wouldn't give in without putting up one hell of a bloody fight.

"Need some help?" Logan asked kneeling next to him and Ginny.

"What's the damage to the area? How many wounded and how many dead?" Harry asked still focused on his healing magic with Death's silent, invisible help.

"Not too bad. Your people are handling the situation. One or two members of the Brotherhood have breathed their last but as far as I can tell no one from your side was killed. Couple dozen wounded but looks like some people are moving them out of the area." Logan said glancing around, swiftly taking in the status of the remaining mutants and magical folk.

A man with red hair that had grey streaks headed over their way followed by a small group of what Logan guessed to be other witches and wizards.

"Harry?" the man asked softly, watching Grim finish healing Ginny.

"Name's Grim," Harry said without looking up.

"Look, mate. I would know you anywhere even looking like you do. We all would." the man said softly. His voice didn't carry beyond the small group that had gathered.

"We know everything. We guessed at a lot and then figured out just who the Grim was and things went from there. No one else knows you're alive and we'll keep it that way. You have to know though. Lily, Teddy, and your grandson Harry...they've been taken by those people that attacked," a man with grey hair and a mustache explained.

"Logan," Harry said finally looking up, "I would like you to meet some very old friends of mine."

Logan was shocked when Harry introduced Ron and Hermione Weasley, Luna and Neville Longbottom, his ex-wife Ginny and her mustached husband, Nathan Kensley. Except for Nathan, Harry explained that each person had fought by his side before he was the Master of Death. He also explained that Neville was the current Minister of Magic and that should anything be revealed it would be their duty to place the wizarding world further into hiding and eliminate all trace of magic in the world.

"Why tell me? Why not the Professor?" Logan asked.

"I'm going to need your help more than anyone else's. I was doing some digging over the last few months before I came back to speak with you all. The Brotherhood is trying to get rid of something called 'the Cure.' Apparently, some group has discovered a way to 'heal' mutants. Make them regular humans again. The Dark Phoenix is going to play a huge part in this. I'm not sure how but Death believes that the Dark Phoenix, your Jean Grey, is going to cause something really horrible to happen. Something that could change the whole world and not for the better. She is too powerful and too chaotic. She will become a Horseman of the Apocalypse if we let her continue on as she has been."

"Why didn't you tell us this sooner?" Logan demanded. Why didn't he tell them? He could have tried to explain. A woman's voice interrupted his thoughts. Looking down at the red head in Harry's arms, he noticed that she was watching Logan with a wariness that only a hardened veteran of war could have.

"Would you have believed him? Harry is a stranger to you. When he was the Chosen One, we, his own people, didn't believe him when he told us that the Dark Lord had returned. It took a lot of death and destruction before people would join him for the war. Those who did believe in him were a bunch of children, his friends, but children nonetheless who had to face the greatest evil we had ever known with very little support from those who were actually supposed to protect us." She looked up at Harry's face with deep affection and a hint of pain.

"Harry gets underestimated quite a bit due to his appearance. He is powerful but so young looking that people forget all the years behind him that has shaped him into the man he is today. Looking at him and not knowing that he had served in two wars, one in which he died to save his loved ones and defeat a monster, would you have believed him? Would you have believed the child in front of your eyes was actually an immortal wizard, chased from his own homeland for an unfounded fear that his power which had only ever been used for the betterment of mankind would cause him to take over the world as we know it? I doubt it. If I did not know who he was, I wouldn't believe in him either. But now, enough of this should have beens and could have beens. It's time to end this."

Harry smiled down at her, sadness barely concealed in his eyes. Ginny was looking older every time he saw her. Her gorgeous red hair was starting to turn grey. Wrinkles were taking over her once youthful face. Harry looked deeper at Ginny and he could see that Death was already beginning to hover over her. Time and history have started to take their toll. Looking up, he noticed that all of his friends were also being marked by Death. They would have ten maybe twenty years left if they were lucky. They would not be blessed with long lives like other witches and wizards. The wars they fought in will claim them, like they have claimed so many others.

Ginny saw his expression and gave him a gentle smile. She knew. She knew exactly what he saw and she only wanted to comfort him. She knew that once all his friends were gone and his children had grown old, Harry could become a very cold, hard man. That is, unless he was surrounded by people who actually cared and drew him out of the self-sacrificing shell he liked to put himself into when things got too hard. She could only hope that the mutants Logan was a part of would be what Harry needed. People who saw him as Harry. Not just a wizard or a pawn or the Master of Death, but Harry the man.

She wouldn't ever tell Harry but she and Death had a long discussion about him years ago when they figured out that he was Master of Death and immortal. She knew that Harry was walking a fine line between this world and the next. Something that will force him to one side or the other of sanity. Death had been very clear about Harry's new duties and the consequences if those duties were not carried out.

And so Harry became a savior once again. Screw his hopes and dreams and wishes. He was a hero. Heroes don't get nice lives. They get power and glory and fame at the cost of happiness and family and love.

Ginny looked at Harry and wanted to tell Fate where it could stick it.

Instead she smiled, "Let's go raise some hell and bring our children home."

Harry's smile beamed with determination. "Yes, let's."

* * *

_Well here it is. I hope you like it. I'm still looking for a beta if anyone is interested. Please PM if you are._

_How is everyone liking the story? Is the pace OK? I'm trying to write as much as I can because once I start my classes for my Master's degree, my free time will become nonexistent._


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I still own nothing!**

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**Back in the USA some time later...**

When the jet silently landed in the middle of the night, the mutants, along with Harry and a few of his old comrades, disembarked.

"Professor," Harry began as they reached the mansion, "We need to know what Magneto's plan is. I only know about the cure. Not where he is going to strike."

This is when Angel spoke, voice hesitant and thoughtful "My father, he has a research facility on Alcatraz Island, one in the city, and another one in the mountains. He doesn't know that I know about them. Except for the one in the city. He tried to give me a shot that he said would 'heal' me. Take away my wings."

Harry turned to him curiously. "Well, that could narrow it down. Professor, do you know of these locations?"

"I know of Alcatraz Island. It was used as a prison island for years before being abandoned. Then Worthington's company bought it to be used as a pharmaceutical factory."

"Can you bring up a map?" Harry asked, debating how best to locate the missing witches and wizards.

"Inside the war room." Xavier said, leading the way inside the mansion and a trip deep down, under the mansion, in a large elevator.

Once everyone was assembled, Xavier brought up a holographic map in the center of a large round, silvery white table that sat in the middle of the room.

"What is this?" Ginny asked stunned at the display.

"The reason we need to re-establish our outside contacts," Harry said simply. He knew technology was making leaps and bounds over the last couple decades but this even surprised him. Harry had the feeling that what Xavier was showing them was years ahead of its time.

However, the map showed the whole world. They were going to have to narrow it down if they ever had any hope of finding Magneto.

"Harry, what about using the Point-Me spell in correlation with this map? I assume your...friend would be able to adjust it as we direct him. It might save us some time," Hermione spoke up after studying the map for a while.

"That might actually work. Hermione, you're a genius as always," Harry exclaimed beaming at the aging witch who smiled back just as warmly.

"What is this spell? How does it work?" Hank asked from where he was hanging from the ceiling in order to get a better look at the map below.

"It is a spell that we use to find things. It's complicated to explain fully but once we say our spell it can point us in the direction of what we are trying to find. Like a compass we can set to point towards almost anything. If enough of us do it from different directions, we can triangulate where our people might be. We did it often enough in World War 2 to locate enemies and allies alike that we should be able to do it here. Granted we are not as familiar with your country as our own," Hermione explained, trying to remember the muggle equivalent for what they were going to try to do.

"We'll start from here to get an idea of which way we need to go, then I'll go the farthest distance and work back from there. Once we get an idea of general vicinity, we'll need all wands on hand to pinpoint the exact location," Harry said, easily shifting into command mode again.

The mutants are shocked when the witches and wizards agree without complaint.

"Professor, shouldn't we provide a little protection for them to work their stuff?" Logan pointed out, chewing on an unlit cigar.

"Harry? How vulnerable are your people during your spell casting?" Xavier asked, concerned.

Harry hesitated, glancing at his fellow magic users. Logan could tell that Harry was measuring how much he could say versus the possibility of a trap for his old friends.

Harry's ex-wife stepped forward with a carefully guarded expression. "We are not helpless but for the spell to work properly it will need our full concentration. Harry is the only one out of all of us who can do more than one spell at a time and that was only after he became the Master of Death. We would welcome some help."

Harry glanced away for a moment as if to hide an expression he didn't want anyone else to notice. Logan didn't catch the expression but he knew when a man was hiding what he was thinking. He had the feeling that what Ginny just revealed was a source of friction between Harry and the rest of his old comrades. Apparently, Harry was more alienated from the rest of his world due to his abilities than Logan originally guessed. In a way, Harry was a mutant in his own right.

"It's settled then. We'll separate into teams of two or more. At least one mutant for every witch or wizard," Xavier declared, drawing Logan out of his musings.

With a nod, Harry led the way out of the war room with the British and the mutants following close behind.

"Once we're clear of the electronics, we'll cast the spell. Magic and technology don't mix well" Harry explained, when Logan gave him a questioning look.

Logan grunted his understanding and took the lead to get them into the open faster.

Once outside, each wizard and witch took out their wands from various holsters. Backs to each other, they made a circle in which they all faced different directions.

Without a single uttered word, they cast the spell that they all knew by heart. Each wand spun in hand until they all pointed west and slightly south.

"Well, I believe I should head south-west," Harry said putting away his wand.

Hermione pulled open her purse and took out a small mirror. She handed one to Harry. "Stay in contact and we'll meet up with you when it's time."

Harry smiled at her preparedness, even after all these years.

"I'll go with ya' and make sure no one tries to stop ya' from doing what ya' need ta' do." Logan said stepping forward.

Harry looked at him in surprise, before shrugging his shoulders. "I warn you, you won't like the trip. Apparating is the fastest way for me to travel but it can be very uncomfortable."

Logan shrugged his own shoulders in response. "Can't be too bad. Had a fella try and take my claws out of my body by force a couple times. Can't be worse than that."

Harry just nodded before calling up Death and sending it to look for a good place in the south west to land first.

Once Death returned, Harry stared into its hidden eyes. After a moment or two, Harry glanced at Logan, "Death has a place we can start."

Harry had Logan grab his arm tightly and warned, "Whatever you do, don't let go. I would hate to have you spliced. It's an awful experience to have your body torn apart."

"Right," Logan grunted, slightly uncomfortable with that possibility now taking up space in his noggin.

With a salute, Harry twisted them on the spot and disappeared with a soft 'pop.'

"Now we wait," Ginny said with a sigh. Even after 25 years, some things never change.

* * *

_Hi everyone! Sorry for the long wait for this chapter. I was in a writing slump for a while and then life just got super busy/ chaotic. Had three weddings, a funeral, my brother's ordination as a Lutheran Pastor, a fight with my student loan company (doubled my payments for no reason), visiting relatives, family drama, getting ready for my Master's degree by submitting all my financial requirements (yay forms and piles of paperwork!), and I work full time. Gah! I just want to write! _

_Anyways, there are only a few more chapters to go then I will be posting chapters for the sequel, "Grim Vengeance" plus some bonus one shots and a new story called "Memories Be Damned." Please check them out when you are done with "Grim Fate."_

_Also, I would like to take a moment and thank each and every one of you who have reviewed or commented on "Grim Fate." Thank you so much for your kind words and encouragement. If I did not send you a PM to thank you personally, I'm so sorry I missed you. I try and catch them all but some seem to slip through the cracks._

_Love you all!_


	11. Chapter 11

_**Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING!**_

* * *

**Abandoned island in the Pacific...**

Logan never, ever wanted to do that again. The feeling of being pushed inwards from all sides made his stomach want to curl in on itself.

Harry glanced at him, "You alright?"

"Peachy," Logan grunted before taking a look around. "Where are we?"

"Small island in Japan. It's been abandoned since World War 2. Too many poisonous creatures and it's always getting hit directly by typhoons and hurricanes. Floods regularly, covering the whole island. Just wasn't worth the effort to settle it," Harry answered before taking his wand out of its hidden sleeve holster and performing the Point-Me spell. It spun wildly before pointing east and slightly north.

Calling up Death once again, Harry requested another location to work from.

Death vanished into the shadows of the forest leaving Logan and Harry with little to do but wait.

Harry sat down one of the large rocks that stuck up out of the sand and started to get the small mirror Hermione had given him from his pocket. Once he got it out, he hesitated and with a sigh, returned it to his pocket.

Logan caught each action and the look of longing on the man's face. Logan had no real memories to work off of but he recognized the look from the faces of countless other mutants who were forced from being with their families by their own unique abilities. _But what happens when you're a freak even among freaks? _

"So, why are ya' so gung ho to go after these people? It's not like you're one of 'em anymore," Logan asked trying to get a rise out of the suddenly subdued wizard.

"I might not get to be with my family, but I will damn well save them when the need arises. Things don't change just because I'm not there," Harry's calm but determined answer came out. The look he gave Logan said much, much more than the words he had spoken. Of the barely hidden anger, sadness, and loneliness as well as the power that simmered behind his eyes and something else. Something that seemed to glow from within. A spark that glimmered within the depths of those emerald eyes giving Harry an unearthly countenance. Logan assumed that it is just the result of his immortality but he couldn't be sure. _What kind of person impresses Death so much as to have Death itself keep them alive? What is it that makes this man different from anyone else? What did he do to deserve this kind of life?_

Logans thoughts wandered as he glanced around the underbrush, leaving Harry's declaration alone.

He heard Harry sigh. Not looking at the wizard, Logan waited and was rewarded for his patience with Harry's words starting out slow and quiet before building to an emotion that Logan could not immediately place."Look. It's not like I'm not used to this. Even as a kid I was always an outsider. The unwanted orphan. Then the proclaimed Savior of Britain. Then you are manipulated and used to further individuals propaganda. As a result when you refuse to take part any further, the public opinion turns and you are hated and despised for being arrogant and spoiled and looking for attention. Then you kill a Dark Lord and you are declared a hero, public opinion once again loves you. But the moment you seem different again. The moment where your power can no longer be used to win a war or fight that powerful enemy standing right in front of you. Then you are dangerous. Then you are not wanted. Then, once again, comes fear. Mortals, I find, are very prone to fearing what they do not know. I am an immortal Master of Death, something no one understands. I'm the only one who can come out of death alive with my soul intact."

Harry had yet to look at him but Logan could sense that this was the only time the Harry would ever tell this story to another person. "I am an abomination to some, a demon to others, the new Dark Lord to the stupid, and an unknown factor to the clever. I no longer can be manipulated or coerced by those seeking political and public standing since I can now sense when someone is less than honest or only telling me half truths to get my support. Death also warns me when someone is trying to ride my coattails to a false sense of glory or respect."

Harry's tone has become so full of dark and slightly bitter sarcasm that at first Logan barely recognizes the wizard who up to this point seemed rather easy-going if serious at times. Logan never realized how much of a hell hole he must have grown up in to be the way he was and still remain sane.

Logan's attention was refocused when Harry's voice gentled as he continued, "My friends and my family have earned my protection, loyalty, and respect over the many years I have known them. We might not know how to deal with each other anymore but I know that if I needed them, they would come running. They needed me gone in order to protect our families from old enemies and new ones when public opinion started going sour. So I died a hero to my people and I left only to protect them from afar. The time for me and my family is past. I treasure my time with them with all my heart but I can't be a true husband and father if all I have left is for public opinion to turn and then go hunting after my family to get to me. You know as well as I that it is never the warriors who are attacked first but rather their loved ones and the innocent. I cannot bring myself to be the kind of person to stand by and do nothing as my family suffers a horrible fate at the hands of the ignorant, the easily led fools, and the power hungry."

"How do ya' know that what you've done worked? Members of your family were just kidnapped," Logan asked, wondering at this man's logic.

"It's already been proven for me that I have done the right thing. The death threats vanished after my funeral. My wife was hailed the courageous widow of a fallen hero. My children were welcomed by their peers once again. My friends advanced quickly their various careers. The need for me to cast a disguise and help smooth the way for them vanished. The current situation was beyond my control. I could not predict outside forces I knew nothing about. What I do know is that my world once again accepts my loved ones as they are and not as how they are related to me, the once suspected new Dark Lord. However, outside of the wizarding world, I can still help them. I can still protect them as I am without worrying about some idiot reporter trying to make a headline about the poor delusional war time wizard who was a man out of his time."

"Didn't know ya' had things like that, solid government, nosy reporters and all that." Logan admitted, even though he should have been able to put two and two together after meeting the Minister of Magic. Figures there would be a form of government to back up the title.

Harry just shrugs as Death emerges from the shadows to report to its Master.

After the same silent form of communication between the two, Harry turns to Logan, "Time to go. We have a new location to work from."

Without another word, Logan braces himself as he latches onto Harry's offered arm.

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_That's Chapter 11 folks! I seriously love you all. I've been getting great reviews and my need to write is stronger than ever. Too bad I have as little time as ever but I promise you that I will continue to update as quickly as I can. Grim Vengeance is still in progress and my poor beta has yet to see my second chapter for editing. (I'm sorry, Asille Nellum! I'm working as fast as I can, I promise!)_

_Grim Fate is winding down. Just a couple more chapters or so to go. Still debating if I need a bit of an epilogue or just point you all to the next story. Anyways, Thought Logan and Harry could use a little bonding time as fellow immortals. What do you think?_

_Cheers!_

_Randompersonality_


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I own NOTHING!**

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**Island somewhere near Alaska...**

It was kind of cold when they landed once again. Logan barely managed to keep his feet as they landed on a patch of ice and snow.

"Where are we now?" Logan asked scanning the area. This island was so small you could see all the edges at once.

"Edge of the Bering Sea, between Russia and Alaska. I think we are in United States territory but we might be on the Russian side. If my hunch is right, this should be our last point of apparation before we meet with the others," Harry explained as he once again prepared his spell.

Logan glanced at the wizard. Harry had dark circles under his eyes that were not there when they had landed in Japan. His face had lost what color it had gained and his cheeks were looking a little gaunt. Logan eyed Harry with a touch of concern. _Guess this magic stuff wears down a person pretty quick. Makes me wonder if it would have killed his friends to do the stuff he was doing. If he keeps this up, he'll be in no condition to fight._

"Southwest," Harry said, grabbing Logan's attention. "It is starting to look like this Alcatraz Island will be the place. Let me contact the others to get the final point of reference to be sure. I think Hermione has a contact somewhere in Central America."

"Whatever, you're the one with the voodoo," Logan responded gruffly. Harry just shrugged and pulled out the small mirror the witch gave him before they left.

"Hermione, this is Harry. Can you hear me?" Harry said activating the mirror.

"Harry! We were getting worried. Why didn't you check in sooner?" Hermione scolded.

"We don't have time for this now. Do you still have that contact in Central America? The one you said you can trust for all kinds of things. Can you have them do the Point-Me spell from their location? I just need one more point of reference to know for certain," Harry explained tiredly.

"Yes, I'm still in contact with them. Give me a moment," Hermione said from the mirror before disappearing from sight. They could hear talking and a rustling before Ron appeared in the mirror this time.

"This might take a little while. You know how she packs. Why don't you rest for a bit while Hermione establishes contact? To be blunt, it looks like you need it, mate," Ron smiled gently.

"Gee, thanks, Ron," Harry responded with rolling eyes and an amused smile. "We'll sit tight for a bit. Let us know what she finds out."

"Will do. Talk to you soon." At that, the image in the mirror faded to reflect Harry's tired face staring at it.

Harry looked at his reflection with a numb feeling that he should be worried but couldn't bring himself to use any energy on the emotion.

"Hey, bub. If ya' want to catch some z's, I'll wake ya' when that Hermione lady calls ya' back," Logan offered offhandedly as he got another cigar out of his pocket to chomp on.

Harry glanced over at the man. "Why did you volunteer to come?" Harry asked suddenly.

Logan's eyebrows went up in mild surprise before answering with a shrug, "I can survive what kills most men. Seemed like it made the most sense to send me with the one who was going to hell and back to get all the info we need."

Harry gave him a look of study, "Kurt said you don't age. Does that apply to wounds too?"

"Pretty much. I've taken bullets to the head, stabbed, burned, cut apart, just about any form of wound under the sun. I don't even scar," Logan said scratching at the stubble along his jaw.

Harry smiled before sitting down in front of a boulder, "I don't scar either. I haven't gained a scar since I became Master of Death. Last scar was the one on my chest, branding me as being Death's...partner I guess you would call it. After all the injuries, don't you find it weird that you have nothing to show for it?"

Logan had to think for a moment. He never thought of it that way. "I guess. With me though, I don't remember much of what happened before 17 years ago. Something happened and most of my memories are gone. so if I had some unexplained scars I think I would be concerned about the life I led."

"I wonder sometimes what's better. To remember everything as you watch it disappear or to never remember it in the first place," Harry said, closing his eyes and leaning back against the rock behind him.

"It's better to know your history so ya' know if your past is catching up to ya'," Logan said with some fire in his voice.

Harry opened his eyes to look at the mutant, "I guess there are arguments for both."

With that, he closed his eyes once again, sinking into a deep slumber.

_Guess that's one way to stop an argument from beginning._ Logan thought as he gazed out over the water splashing against the rocks along the nearby shore.

He wasn't sure how long they remained like that, Harry asleep while he kept vigil, but Logan heard a voice come from the mirror laying on Logan's backpack.

"Harry. Wake up. Your mirror is yelling at ya'," Logan called gruffly, kicking lightly at Harry's booted foot.

Instantly, Harry was awake and aware, reaching for his mirror. "Yes?"

"My contact got back to me. His Point-Me spell pointed north and slightly west," Hermione reported, taking in Harry's disheveled appearance.

"Good, that makes it certain that it is Alcatraz. Meet us near the Golden Gate Bridge. We'll have to be slightly sneaky about this," Harry said, rubbing a hand through his messy locks in thought.

"Right, see you soon. And do be careful to stay out of trouble. You know how you are," Hermione said with a fondly aggravated sigh.

"See you in a bit." Harry said, rolling his eyes with a smile before signing off.

"It's kinda' weird to see ya' smile so much and mean it," Logan teased gruffly.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked innocently.

"Ya' usually wear that weird always polite smile. The one that most people use to hide what they're think'n. With your friends, it's different..." Logan shrugged, lifting his pack to his shoulders.

"Mostly because they can see through my masks with little difficulty. It makes it pointless to hide anything from them," Harry said getting to his feet.

Logan grunted in response before taking Harry's offered arm again. "God, I hope this is the last time I ever have to do this," Logan grumbled.

"Yeah, me too," Harry said with a smirk before disapparating with a soft pop, leaving the rocky shore as untouched as it had been before they arrived.

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_Hello, everyone. Here is Chapter 12! We are soooo close to the end of this story arc. I would like to give a shout out to all readers and reviewers/ commenters (is that a word? I think it is...). Thank you so much! Your support means everything to me. _

_Once again, keep a look out for the first chapter of the Grim Vengeance storyline. That will be posted as soon as this story wraps up and it is edited by my lovely beta, who puts up with my shenanigans so well. Grim Vengeance will be a continuation of what I have dubbed "The Grim Series."_

_"Memories Be Damned" is still a work in progress but that will be posted soon as well. Different story line completely from the Grim Series. I have a bunch of one-shots waiting in the wings for the right moments to be revealed. They contain too many spoilers if I were to post them right now. __

_Anyways, loves to you all!_

_-Randompersonality_


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